Please review the guidelines below to make sure your quilt is ready for the longarm.
Top is Pressed
Make sure all seams of your top are pressed either to one side or open. No need to worry about wrinkles in the fabric, I can smooth those out!
Backing is Correct Size
Your quilt backing should extend 4 inches beyond the edge of the top in all directions. This means the length and width of your backing will be a total of 8 inches larger than your quilt top. This is necessary to load the backing on the longarm frame and to make sure I can get good tension.
Top and Backing are Squared
Help me out by making sure the top and backing are squared! This means the edges are straight (not wavy or crooked) and the corners are 90 degree angles. If you’re not sure how to do this, here is a link to a tutorial for squaring a quilt. The video shows a quilt that has already been quilted, but the same method can be used for the top before quilting. If your selvedges are still attached, this tutorial shows a couple of methods for squaring your backing.
This will help in the loading process and with tension. The closer to square your quilt is when you send it, the closer to square it will be when you get it back.
Seams are Secure
Sometimes the stitching on a quilt top may come loose due to a tail getting cut too short or the seam allowance being less than a quarter inch. Please check your quilt thoroughly and if you notice any seams that are not secure, now is the time to reinforce them! While the seams will become more secure from the quilting stitches, a seam that pops open could result in exposed batting. There are many methods to reinforce seams including redoing the seam with your machine, hand stitching, decorative/visible mending, appliqué, interfacing, and fray check.
Dark Threads are Trimmed
A dark thread behind light fabric might show through to the top. Visible threads can impact the final look of your quilt and they are much harder to remove after quilting.
Mark Which Edge is “North”
If your top and/or back are directional, make sure you indicate which edge would be “north” if you were looking at it like a map. You can do this by pinning a note or attaching something like a safety pin or a piece of tape to the correct edge. Just indicate on your intake form that your quilt is directional and I will know to look for it! This will ensure there is no confusion regarding which direction the quilting design should go.
If any of these criteria are not met, I can fix them for you for an additional fee. Alternatively, if you would like to fix it yourself I can return the quilt to you (at your cost if this requires shipping). I will not do any unplanned work on your quilt without discussing the price with you first. My fee is $25/hour charged in 15 minute increments.
Remember, quilts are fabric and both humans and computers make mistakes. I will take care of your quilt as carefully as I do my own, but if any issues occur after I have started working on it I will do my best to remedy the situation. I will always keep you updated if anything unexpected happens.